The field of the invention is farm implements, and the invention relates more particularly to implements for transporting fallen trees. In any large mature orchard, there are a number of nonproducing trees which should be removed each year to optimize the production of the orchard. After the trees are removed, the soil must be groomed to its original grade for best harvest conditions.
The present most common system for removing fallen trees from tree orchards is as follows:
After the tractor backs up to the fallen tree, the driver must dismount from the tractor and secure a chain around the root system of the tree. Shovel work is often required for this procedure. The tractor then drags the tree out of the orchard while the roots plow large divots into the soft, moist soil. Once the tree is pulled to the lay-down area, the driver must again dismount the tractor and remove the chain from the tree's tangled root system. This is also a time-consuming and dirty procedure. For a large orchard such as a 4,000-acre orchard, there are approximately 8,000 nonproducing trees to remove each year. Thus, the amount of time required for tree removal and soil repair is substantial.